While a lot of your favorite American shows go on hiatus for the holidays (see you in 2016, How to Get Away With Murder, Empire, The Walking Dead…), your favorite British shows aren’t going anywhere. In fact, they come bearing gifts in the form of specials.

Downton Abbey is returning for a Christmas special, which serves as the series finale, while Luther has condensed what was supposed to be its fourth season into a single three-hour special. Watch trailers for both after the jump. Read More »

Downton Abbey is preparing to open its doors to you one last time. Ahead of the show’s final season premiere, ITV has unveiled a new trailer hinting at bittersweet endings for the Crawleys and their devoted staff. Watch the Downton Abbey final season trailer after the jump. Read More »

UPDATE: This news originally ran on Monday but there’s a new twist. A movie has now been mentioned as a possibly. Read more below.

For me, Downton Abbey just kind of happened. I’d heard some chatter about this British period drama people were raving about and, one night, I just popped the pilot on via Netflix. Instantly, I was hooked. The sharp writing, the dynamic characters and fascinating juxtaposition of a wealthy family and their servants had everything you could want in television: humor, suspense, romance, you name it. I’ve been a fan ever since and I’m not ashamed to say I’ve shed a tear or two at the show.

That’ll likely happen again next year. Word has come down that season six, which will air later this year in the United Kingdom before airing on PBS in the States in January 2016, will be the final season of Downton Abbey. Read More »

Briefly: The Crawleys will survive to fight another day. Downton Abbey has been renewed for a fifth season, as announced by PBS, several weeks before Season 4 even premieres in the U.S. “As American audiences ready themselves for the January 5th premiere of Season 4, our devoted Downton fans will rest easy knowing that a fifth season is on the way,” said Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton.

In the U.K., the fourth season (sorry, that’s “series” for you Brits) concluded this past weekend. It was the highest-rated TV drama of the year, drawing nearly 12 million viewers on average. There aren’t many upsides to the fact that our friends across the pond get the episodes months before we do, but the fact that we don’t have to worry about whether the show will get renewed is one.

Downton Abbey‘s 2013 Christmas Special will air in the U.K. next month. Season 4 kicks off January 5 in the U.S.

As British Downton Abbey fans brace themselves for the Season 4 finale in two weeks, American Downton Abbey fans are just now preparing for the Season 4 premiere in January.

PBS has released a new U.S. teaser for the post-Edwardian drama, featuring all the tasteful string music, lush period costumes, scandalous kisses, and shocked glances that you’d expect from a Downton Abbey teaser. The only thing it’s missing are some cutting Dowager Countess quips. Check it out after the jump.

Tragedy hit the Crawley family in a big way during the last season of Downton Abbey, but life at the manor goes on — as the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) helpfully reminds Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) in the first trailer from Season 4. Based on the video, this life involves lots of hugging, kissing, and casting of meaningful glances, plus a whole lot of crying.

Additionally, there are some major changes coming to Downton, such as the addition of the show’s first black cast member (Gary Carr) and a trio of handsome suitors for Lady Mary (Tom Cullen, Julian Ovenden, and Brendan Patricks). Watch the new trailer after the jump; some Season 3 spoilers follow.

The cast and crew of Star Trek Into Darkness is currently in London for the film’s international press junket and director J.J. Abrams took advantage of the opportunity to get closer to his favorite TV show. Speaking to Empire Magazine a few months back, Abrams gushed about his favorite show on TV, Downton Abbey:

I’m a huge – almost to an embarrassing degree – fan of Downton Abbey. I find myself pathetically addicted to that series….I just want to guest-direct an episode of Downton Abbey. I would, seriously….I don’t think they would have me. But I would be honored. I just want to visit the set maybe. It would be my dream in life. I’m not kidding you!

Well apparently, Abrams has just made his dreams come true. Check out the image below. Read More »